Ultrasonic type net weight load indicator for vehicles



ULTRASONIC TYPE NET WEIGHT LOAD INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES Original FiledJune l0, 1968 E. C. NOLAN March 17, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/GZ 3 1 I I II I I I I I I I l l I J BOTTOM OF VEHICLE OTHER AXLE BY y

INVENTOR VEHICLE AXLE Earl C. Nolan ATTORNEY March 17, 1970 E. c. NoLANRe. 26,826

ULTRSOHIC TYPE ET WEIGHT LOAD INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES Original Filed June10. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet z FIG. 3

INVEN'IOR Earl C. Nolan ATTORNEY United States Patent O 26,826ULTRASONIC TYPE NET WEIGHT LOAD INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES Earl C. Nolan,208 Kensington Drive, Biloxi, Miss. 39530 Original No. 3,428,139, datedFeb. 18, 1969, Ser. No. 735,824, June 10, 1968. Application for reissueApr. 8, 1969, Ser. No. 824,004

Int. Cl. Glllg 19/08, 19/12;B60p 5/00 U.S. Cl. 177-137 13 Claims Matterenclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms nopart of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicatesthe additions made by reissue.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is a weight load indicator forvehicles and measures the net weight of the load of a vehicle or theweight on each axle, on a meter weight indicator located in the cab ofthe vehicle. It includes an ultrasonic pulse generator which isoperated, when desired, to send a burst of sound through a transceiverto a transducer. The transducer is located on the underside of thevehicle and a sonic reector is mounted on the vehicle axle, there beingsprings on the axle supporting the vehicle body, The reliector is in thesonic path of the transducer. A meter, calibrated in weight, isconnected to the transceiver, and the meter is thus actuated to reiiectthe time it takes for the sound to echo back from the sonic reliector tothe transducer, which varies in proportion to the compression of thevehicle springs under the weight of the load thereon. One or moretrailer vehicles may have their loads indicated in the tractor vehiclecab by having a second transducer and a second sonic reliector similarlymounted on the trailer vehicle underside and axle through a selectiveswitch to the same transceiver and ultrasonic pulse generator, and tothe same meter.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION This invention has for an object to provide animproved means for indicating the net weight of the load on a vehicle orthe total weight on an axle, as well as on one or more trailer vehicles,if present, the weight indication taking place in the cab of the tractorvehicle. A further object of this invention is to utilize the vehiclesprings as the primary measure of the weight of the load, and to measurethe compression of the vehicle springs by electronically measuring thevarying time it takes for an ultrasonic sound to be echoed between thevehicle underside and sonic reector mounted on the vehicle axle, andtransmitting this time element to a meter calibrated in weight andlocated in the vehicle cab. lf desired, a transducer and sonic reilectormay be provided for each axle to indicate each axle load, as well as thenet weight load.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One of the great problems today is toprevent the overloading of heavy trucks which travel on the highways.There are limits set for each entire truck and for each axle of a truck.This makes it imperative that the operator know during loading of histruck when he is approaching the maximum load limit for the entirevehicle, and the maximum load for each axle. Furthermore, in order tokeep maintenance to a minimum, the operator should keep the loads in histruck evenly distributed relative to the wheels thereof.

In connection with trucks and aircraft and other carriers, it isimportant that they be properly loaded so that they will carry maximumload properly distributed but without overloading the carrier. Inparticular connection with trucks and such ground vehicles, practicallyall states have strict laws regulating total load and axle load and suchstates likewise having weighing stations where trucks passing throughthe state are required to weigh in. Severe penalties are invoked foroverweight trucks and considerable delay is encountered in carrying outthe weighing operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES With the above and related objects inview, this invention consists in the details of construction andcombination of parts, as will be more fully understood from thefollowing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic showing of the entire invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary showing of the sonic transducer on the undersideof a vehicle over a sonic reflector on the axle of the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2, the vehicle carrying no net load.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, with a heavy load on the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION There is shown at 10,diagrammatically, the cab of a vehicle 12 to which this invention hasbeen applied. In or adjacent the cab l0, there is located an ultrasonicpulse frequency generator 14.

The ultrasonic frequency pulse [sound] from generator 14 is picked up bya transceiver 16, which includes a transmitter 18, receiver 20 andamplifier 22, all in circuit with a battery 24 which. for convenience,may be the battery of the vehicle 12.. Mounted on the underside orbottom 26 of the load body 28 of the vehicle 12 is a transducer 30 in aposition directly over a sonic reector 32. The reiiector 32 is mountedon a vehicle axle 34 on which the vehicle wheel 36 is journalcd, and theaxle 34 is provided with the spring 38 supporting the body 28, thespring compressing in proportion to the load 42 placed on the body 28between a minimum unloaded position shown in FIG. 3 to a maximum loadedposition shown in FIG. 4, thus varying the distance between thetransducer 30 and the sonic reiiector 32 in proportion to the weight ofthe load 42.

The transducer 30 is also in circuit through the receiver 20 to meter 40calibrated to indicate weight and located in the cab 1I), a switch 44being suitably located in the circuit within the cab 10.

OPERATION OF INVENTION In operation, if the invention is used only forinforming the operator of the net weight of the load, the meter 40 iscalibrated to indicate no weight when the vehicle is empty to themaximum weight when the vehicle 12 is fully loaded as in FIG. 4. Whenthis information is desired, as while the vehicle 12 is being loaded,the driver, from time to time, closes the switch 44, sending a burst ofultrasonic pulse, possibly of the nature of 15,000 per minute, from thegenerator 14 through the circuit of the transmitter 18 to the transducer30, and the ultrasonic sound goes from the transducer 30 to thereiiector 32 and reiiects or echoes back to the transducer 30, the timefor such echo varying according to the variation in the distance betweenthe body botttom 26 and the axle 34 as determined by the compression ofthe spring 38, thus being in proportion to the net weight of the load42. From the receiver 20, the circuit goes to the weight indicatingmeter 40. The driver thus can read his net weight immediately. If thevehicle 12 has a trailer vehicle 46 attached thereto, such trailer 46has a second transducer 30' on its bottom 26', with a sonic reector 32mounted on the trailer axle 34' and a switch 48 is provided to switchthe circuit from the first transducer 30 of the tractor vehicle 12 tothe second transducer 30' [on axle 34'] on the trailer vehicle 46.

Potentiometers are provided in the circuit to calibrate the scale of themeter 40 to t each different loading situation normally encountered.Sensitivity of the meter 40 may be increased by adjusting theamplification 22 to the receiver 20. In addition, this invention may beused for the total weight on each axle 34, not only of the tractorvehicle 12, but also of the trailer vehicle or vehicles 46. by providinga transducer and reflector for each axle 34 and 34' of each vehicle 12and 46, and a meter 40 or meters 40 suitably calibrated, to indicate thetotal load on each axle 34 and 34'. thus enabling the driver to keep theweight of the axle load, during loading, within the legal limitpermitted for each axle 34 and 34'.

ABSTRACT OF THE DRAWING In the drawings, like numbers refer to likeparts, and for the purposes of explication, marshalled below are thenumbered parts of the improved net weight load indicator for vehicles:

-cab of l2 l2-vehicle l4-ultrasonic pulse frequency generatorl-transceiver 1li-transmitter -receiver 22-amplitier 24-battery26-underside or bottom of 28 26'-underside or bottom of trailer28-vehicle body 30-transducer 30-second transducer on 26' 32-sonicreflector 32'-second reflector on 34' 34-axle 34-second axle 36-wheel38-sprirrg of 12 40-meter calibrated in weight 42-load 44-switch incircuit to meter 40 46-[tractor] trailer vehicle 48-switch to selectcircuit to either transducer 30 or 30' Although this invention has beendescribed in considerable detail, such description is intended as beingillustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variouslyembodied.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention what isclaimed is:

1. In connection with a road vehicle (l2) having a body (28). a cab(10), springs (38) for supporting said vehicle body (28) on axles (34)on which wheels (36) are iournalled, the improvement comprising anultrasonic pulse frequency generator 14), an ultrasonic transceiver (16)exposed thereto, a transducer (30) mounted on the underside of thevehicle body (28) over an axle (34) in circuit with said transceiver(16), an ultrasonic refiector (32) mounted on said axle (34) in thesonic path of said transducer (30). a weight indicating meter (40) incircuit with said transceiver (16), and a circuit providing source ofelectricity (24) connected in circuit with said transceiver (16)` 2. Thecombination of claim 1, said transceiver (16) including a transmitter(18), a receiver (20), and an arnplifier (22).

3. The combination of claim 2, said circuit providing source ofelectricity being the vehicle battery (24).

4. The combination of claim 3, said weight indicating meter (40) beinglocated in the vehicle cab (10).

5. The combination of claim 4, and a trailer vehicle (46) secured tosaid first vehicle (12), a second transducer (30') in circuit with saidtransceiver (16) secured to the underside (26') of the trailer vehicleover a trailer axle (34') supporting the trailer body on springs (38), asecond ultrasonic reflector (32') mounted on the trailer vehicle axle(34') in the sonic path of said second transducer (30'), and a circuitswitch (48) located in said cab (10) of said first vehicle (l2) forselectively completing the circuit from said transceiver (16) to eitheraid rst transducer (30) or to said second transducer 6. The combinationof claim 4, and a second sonic re- Hector ([32,] 32') mounted on asecond axle ([34,] 34'), and a second transducer ([30,] 30') mounted onthe vehicle underside ([26,] 26') in the sonic echo path of said secondreflector ([32,] 32'). and a switch (48) for connecting said secondtransducer ([30,] 30') in place of said first transducer (30) in circuitto indicate the weight on the second axle ([34,] 34').

7. The combination of claim 6, said second axle (34') [(34)] being asecond axle (34') on [the] same vehicle (12) to thus indicate axleloading.

8. The combination of claim 6. said second axle (34') being an [asecond] axle (34') on [the] n trailer vehicle (46) to thus indicate theload on said axle (34') of the trailer [tractor] vehicle (46).

9. A system for measuring the weight of a load comprising,

(a) a support for the load,

(b) spring means interposed between the support and a base and yieldableunder load,

(c) means for initiating bursts of compres-sional wave energy at one endof a path and receiving the energy at the termination of the path,

(d) said path including the distance extending between a fixed stationon the support and a fixed station on the baise,

(e) and means Ifor measuring the elapsed time of travel of the energybetween the ends of the path for indicating the weight of the load.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for receiving the energy atthe termination of the path is located at one of the stations.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for initiating bursts ofcompressional wave energy includes a generator of compressional waveenergy of an ultrasonic frequency located at one 0f the fixed stations.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the support for the load is the bodyof a wheeled vehicle and the base is an axle having wheels journaledthereon.

13. The system of claim J2, wherein the means for directing bursts ofenergy includes a generator of compressional waves at an ultrasonicfrequency mounted at one of said stations.

References Cited The following references, cited by the Examiner, are ofrecord in the patented file of this patent or the original patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,923,540 2/1960 Yost et al 177-137 2,933,3024/1960 Cordell 177-137 2,943,296 6/1960 Fryklund 340-1 ROBERT S. WARD,JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 177-210; 340-1

